Bring Her Back to Me
by Ialwaysshipthedoomedones
Summary: How are you supposed to react when a stranger tells you that you've been married for two years, and no matter how hard you try, how much pressure you put on yourself, you can't even remember his name. *Re-uploaded/Rewritten*
1. Chapter 1

_A/N I started this but rewrote it as when I read it back I really wasn't happy with it. I think I have more of an idea where this is going now so I hope you guys are interested! I watched the film The Vow for the first time recently and this is where the idea came from. Though I don't plan to follow the storyline completely__. _

The last two days seemed to go in slow motion, the clock stuck on the dirty white wall ticked past painfully slowly. Each minute gone was another moment lost as he waited, body drooping with desperation, needing to hear the words he was scared would never come.

His injuries had been entirely superficial, no real damage done. It seemed he had escaped unscathed, his wife taking all the impact. Peter's eyes wondered out of the large windows looking out onto the large hospital garden. The snow was now more than 6 inches high, covering the ground and everything in it's path. He is pulled out of his thoughts as he hears footsteps approaching, his head snapped round to see who was nearing, and he swears he hears his heart sink as the nurse hurries past, having news for someone, but not for him.

*Two days earlier*

_"Put the radio on baby" Carla requested from the drivers seat as she fixed her hair in the mirror, flipped the sun screen back up and then started the car. They were headed home from the restaurant Peter had taken them to, something that had become a regular thing since 'Date night' had been suggested._

_Whitney Houston blared through the radio, causing Carla to groan in response. Peter smiled __at her, laughing at her unsubtle hate of all things soppy._

_"And I... Will always love youuuuu" Peter instantly sang along to the music, putting an extra emphasise on all the words, a huge grin spreading across his features._

_"Please tell me you don't like this song?"_

_"Ohh will always love you, my darling you" He didn't answer, choosing to carry on singing, moving his body eagerly to the beat of the music._

_Carla couldn't contain her laughter at her husband's awful singing, she watched him from the corner of her eye as he belted out the last notes of the song, whilst pleading with him to stop through breaks in her laughter._

_Carla pulled over in an empty car park, turning to face Peter with a sly smile on her face. "I don't know what I ever saw in you Mr Barlow"_

_"Mmm, well I could say the same about you MrsBarlow"_

_"Ahh, see that would be because of my gorgeous good looks, my brilliant sense of humour and the fact I'm so damned clever"_

_"It certainly wasn't your modesty" Carla nudged him in mock annoyance, leaning over and placing a passionate kiss on his always waiting lips. She pulled away, wiping a stray piece of lipstick from Peter's cheek. _

_As the keys turned in the car ignition, neither of them noticed the lorry coming up behind them, the driver drunk, almost passed out. Neither of them noticed until it was too late._


	2. Chapter 2

_A/N Thanks SO much for the lovely reviews, I hope this is okay, I'm not entirely happy with it but if people are still interested I shall carry on! Reviews are loved dearly!_

_Carla found herself pacing back and forth across her flat, finding the waiting an impossible task. She wanted more than anything to believe his words, his declarations. But she has learnt to fear disappointment and so that is what she does. She feels trapped. Claustrophobic in a place she used to call her home and yet now it seemed to haunt her. A ghost of a thousand memories, could've beens. Would've beens. _

_She cannot take the atmosphere an__y more so with an empty sigh she picks her coat up from the sofa and heads out of the front door. Taking a walk to a still unknown destination. _

_"I love you"_

_"No, you know you have to be really careful what you say to me, I'm really fragile right now"_

_"I know, I love you. I love you"_

_The words they shared last night float around her head as she wonders along the empty streets, finding herself outside her factory which she hoped would be empty. She hoped with the parts of her heart that still remained intact that he had taken note of her words, and would not leave her devastated and alone once more._

_For hours, she busied herself with paperwork in her lonely factory. Her eyes flicking to the clock on the wall, getting more frustrated each time she realised only minutes had passed. She kept her ears open for the sound of her phone but nothing came so when 8pm came and passed, she phoned for a taxi and made her way back home. _

_She tried to keep positive in the taxi back, telling herself that Peter would be waiting for her when she returned, sitting on her doorstep with an overnight bag, being unable to call her because his phone was out of battery. _

_Carla found herself fighting back the tears as she put her keys into the lock and let herself into her flat, with a quick look at the clock she saw it was now gone 10pm. _

_She had known long ago he wasn't coming but couldn't bring herself to believe it. She didn't even have the energy to change her clothes or crawl under her duvet before she gave into sleep, instead choosing to collapse on her sofa, allowing a blanket of sleep to overcome her._

_She didn't know how long she had been asleep when she was woken with a loud, frantic banging at the door. She sat up, dead still. She froze completely, unable to move having convinced herself it was Frank that stood on the other side. _

_"Carla love, it's me baby"_

_Peter's words instantly calmed her. _

_She unlocked and unlatched the several devices on the door before coming face to face with Peter. She could see the tears that still glistened in his warm brown eyes, but it smile was still wide as he dropped his bag and embraced Carla, pulling her close and realising that all the shouting and fighting had been worth it for this moment. _

_He rested his head against her raven hair, breathing in her familiar smell. _

_"You and me against the world now kid" His words gave Carla the answer to all her unasked questions._

Peter had sat by her bed for hours, hoping for a sign, a flicker of life but nothing had come. She lay, lifeless in her hospital bed. The bleeping sound of the machines attached to her were the only way her even knew she was still alive. Her raven hair spread across the pillow, her face and hands scratched from the crash. He wished she'd open her eyes, he longed to see the sparkle of green glittering in her warm eyes but they remained firmly closed.

He held her hand tightly in his own, just needing the skin to skin contact. He swears he feels her shift against him but when nothing else happens he puts it down to his lack of sleep.

Soon enough though, the bleeping becomes louder, more frequent and a nurse rushes though, pushing Peter to the side to reach her patient. He can't see what's happening, and doesn't know what is the cause of the noise as he fights past the nurse to the other side of the bed, his heart beat quickens as he sees that his wife has in fact, awoken.

When her eyes meet his he sees nothing but confusion but assumes that is because she has been asleep for so long. He can hear the nurse talking to Carla, explaining the recent accident but he doesn't really listen to what she is saying, his full attention on Carla.

"Will I make a full recovery Doctor?" He hears her say, and he too awaits to hear the answer. "Doctor?" She questions again, and it takes him a moment to realise she is directing the question to him.

"Carla, you do know who I am, don't you?

She looks at him, her eyes glaring into his, almost as though she is asking if there is a reason she should know who he is

"Carla, please tell me you know who I am?" Peter's looks questionably from Carla to the nurse and back again.

"Who are you?"


	3. Chapter 3

_If time is all I have, I'll waste it all on you. Each day I'll turn it back, it's what the broken-hearted do._

"I'm.. Carla I'm your husband" Carla's eyes flicker to the ring on his finger and then down to the one on her own, frustration flooding her body as she tries to remember something about this man. She searches her mind, her memories and yet there's nothing. She cannot even remember the name of the man she is apparently married to.

She shakes her head gently, trying not to disturb the wires "I don't know who you are" She chokes back on her sob, bringing her hand up to her mouth.

Peter had to get out of there, feeling suffocated and at a complete loss. He can't understand how she can forget the last four years of her life, their life. The life they had built together, worked so hard to keep going, and against everything they had made it. Only for it to be seemingly snatched away in a moment of hell.

He runs away from the room, and leans his head on the wall as tears brim in his eyes. He cannot believe how unfair everything seems and in a moment of anger he punches the vending machine with a loud thud, instantly drawing blood to his knuckles.

"Mr Barlow?" Peter recognises the nurse as the one from Carla's room, the same one that told him she was doing well only hours before.

"You said she's be okay! She doesn't even know who I am!"

"Mr Barlow, your wife had a very severe head trauma and there are some injuries that cannot be foreseen until the patient awakes. Mrs Barlow is suffering from amnesia due to the bang she received in the crash but it is almost definite that she will recover"

"How long?"

"It's not possible to say for-"

"How long?"

"Days, weeks, longer maybe" Peter sinks down against the floor, placing his head in his hands as the nurse walks away. He finally allows his tears to fall as his heart breaks for what might happen next.

Carla lay in her hospital bed, trying to piece things together but finding it impossible. She was married, but not to her partner? She couldn't ever imagine falling out of love with Dan, he'd been her saviour and he'd helped her through so much. She allowed her head to flop back against the pillow, unable to comprehend what was happening. She eventually let sleep overpower her, hoping her dreams would be a safer place.

...

_The music began playing as Carla linked arms with Hayley, who she had asked to give her away. Michelle, Carla's maid of honour and Maria, stood behind them, all dressed in deep red, knee length dresses. Carla wore the first white dress she had ever worn for a wedding, it flowed out like a summer dress, with small detailed flowers sewn onto it. She wore her hair clipped to the side, curled with pearls adorning a few of her raven strands._

_Kieron stood next to Peter, having glanced a look behind him at his wife, and Peter's bride to be. "She looks a million dollars mate" he whispered to Peter, who answered with a grin. _

_Carla made her way up the aisle, her heart beating so hard she thought it may burst. The walk up to her groom seemed to last a life time but eventually Peter's eyes met with hers, and she felt instantly as ease again. _

_"You look amazing baby" He whispered as he took her hands in his own, having not seen her since early the day before he was desperate to kiss and hold her. _

_"You don't look to bad yourself" Carla smiled and then prized her eyes away from Peter's to face the __Vicar._

_The ceramony was almost finished as the pair shared their vows and stood smiling at each other like a pair of teenagers. They listened as the Vicar spoke for a few more moments before they exchanged rings. Carla smiled as she felt Peter's hands shake whilst placing the ring on her finger. "Nervous baby?" She whispered with a small giggle._

_Peter shock his head and smiled back at her. "Not nervous, happy" _

_Carla's heart swelled with love as it was announced they were now husband and wife and Peter sighed with relief as his lips finally met Carla's. "Mrs Barlow" Peter spoke into her lips "Suits you Car" _


End file.
